Method and apparatus for producing a chemical union between hydrocarbon gases and hydrocarbon oils



l (V 1W May 8, 1923. 1,454,567

H. B. SNYDER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A CHEMICAL UNION BETWEEN HYDHOCARBON GASES AND HYDROCARBON OILS Filed DBO. 2'7 1921 H. B. Snyder.

WITNESSES A TTOR/VEYS Patented May 8, 1923.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIBAII BRUCE SNYDER, F FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA.

METHOD AND APPARATU FOR PRODUCING A CHEMICAL UNION BETWEEN HYDRO- CABBON GASES AN D HYDROCARBON OILS.

Application filed December 27, 1921. Serial No. 524,973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM B. SNYDER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fullerton, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in M'ethods and Apparatus for roducing a Chemical Union Between Hydrocarbon Gases and Hydrocarbon Oils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a chemical union between methane gases and heavy hydrocarbon oils.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by which a complete union between natural or methane gases CH and hea hydro-carbon such as C H may be had, and thereby producing hydro-carbon compounds such as C H or other hydro carbon compounds of a different chemical structure depending upon the hydro-carbon oil united with the methane gases.

, In carrying out the present invention it is contemplated to place a certain volume of natural gas under compression, and at a predetermined period of compression to introduce a certain volume of heavy hydrocarbon oil into the gas, and then continue the compressing of the gas until it is bordering its liquid state. At this period the molecules of the co-mingled gas andoil are disrupted and broken up by the passage of an electrical arc therethrough, after which the atoms of the gas and oil may re-assemble into a new chemical compound having a different chemical structure, and it is then discharged from the compression chamber. l

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in

which:

F i re 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating t e preferred form of the invention with parts thereof shown in cross section to more clearly illustrate the invention,

Figure 2 is a modified form of apparatus suitable for accomplishing the purposes of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and

60 particularly to Figure 1, 10 indicates a cylinder which is elongated as shown and having fitted therein a piston or-plunger 11. The inner end of the cylinder is enlarged as at 12 and adapted to accommodate the packing gland 13. The outer end of the cylinder 10 is also enlarged as at 14 and provided with a relatively thick head closure 15.

in which there is mounted a pair of electrodes 16, said electrodes bein suitably insulated from the head as in icated at 17 and having their outer ends connected with the terminals of the secondary transformer coil 18, as shown. The primer coil 19 is connected with a low voltage source and the secondary coil 18 is adapted to produce a relatively high voltage for the electrodes 16, as for example, the source of supply may be 110 volts, while the secondary coil of the transformer produces 50,000 volts. 1

The inner ends of the electrodes projectin into a hemispherically shaped recess 2% formed in the 1nner side of the head 15, and likewise register with asimilar recess 21 formed in the forward end of the piston 11. Also in the head 15 of the cylinder 10 there is positioned a pair of tappet valves 22 and 23, the stem of each valve being encircled by a compression spring 24 which is adapted for holding the Valves closed. With the opening controlled by the valve 23 there c'ommunh cates an eduction pipe 25 through which the methane gases are introduced into the cylinder, and with the opening controlled by the valve 22 there-communicates a pipe 26 which may be suitably connected to a container or tank in WlllCh the liquid coming through said pipe 26 may be collected. The valve 22 may be operated by a bell crank lever 27 which may be actuated by a suitable cam 28 through the rod 29.

For introducing the heav oils into the cylinder 10, I provide an Oll pump which comprises a cylinder 30 which communicates at its lower end with the cylinder 10 through an orifice 31. On the one side of the cylinder 30 there is formed atubular extension 32 which terminates near its outer end in an enla rgement 33, said enlargement being hollow as shown, and communicating with a tubular projection 34, which may be attached to a source of supply of heavy oil. A ball valve as indicated at 35 may be positioned in the enlargement 33 to regulate tlre flow of tlie oil into the cylinder 30. Within the cylinder 30 there is fitted a plunger or piston 36 which has formed at its upper end a slotted cross head 37. A disk or wheel- 38 maybe suitably mounted with relation to the pluna of hydro-carbon oils.

ger 36 so that a pin 39 carriedby said disk may, engage in t e slot of the head 37 and operate the plunger 36 for pumping the oil through the orifice 31 into the cylinder 10.

In the operation of the present device, as heretofore described, a certain quantity of methane or natural gas is allowedto enter the cylinder through the valve 23. The piston 11 is then made to commence its compression stroke, and previous to its passing the orifice 31, the piston 36 will descend for injecting into the cylinder 10 a certain quantity of heavy hydro-carbon oil. Due to the fact that'the orifice 31 restricts the passage of said oil when being injected into the cylinder 10, the same will enter the cylinder in the form of a spray. The piston 11 will of course proceed in its compression stroke and when it has reached the end thereof, the gas and heavy oil will be thoroughly mixed and in a co-mingled state. Also the oil and gas will be considerably heated due to the pressure to which it is subjected. The compression force of the piston 11 is preferably so that at the completion of its stroke the gas is bordering its liquid state, and at this period a spark is caused to jump between the inner ends of the electrodes 16, which as is obvious, passes through the body of compressed gas and oil. When this occurs the molecules of the oil and gas are entirely disrupted or broken up so that when the pressure is relieved they will form themselves into new compounds Also at the time when the piston 11 is started upon its return stroke the valve 22 is operated in order to permit the new compound of hydro-carbon oil formed to flow from the cylinder 10, through the pipe 26.

Referring to Figure 2 in which I have shown a modified form of the apparatus for carrying out my invention, 40 indicates a cylinder which is vertically disposed as s own and terminating at its lower end in a conical head portion 41 which is formed centrally thereof with a boss 42, said boss having a bore extending therethrough and a valve 43vseated in the upper end thereof adapted to form a closure therefor. Also the boss may be provided with a cap 44 and the stem 45 of e valve 43 encircled by a compression spring 46 which may be adapted to normally hold the valve in closed position. Also there may be threaded or otherwise extended through the boss 42 an eduction pipe 47. In the head portion 41 there is likewise provided a pair of electrodes 48, which may be suitably connected to the secondary of the transformer, as illustrated in Fi re 1. Furthermore the head portion 41 o the cylinder 40 may have extended therethrough a pair of nozzle members as indicated at 48, and said nozzles suitably connected with a pipe and valve means through which heavy hydro-carbon oil may be injected into the cylinder at the required intervals.

Within the cylinder there may be positioned a piston 49 which may be provided with the usual packing rings 50. Also in the side wall of the cylinder 40 there may be suitably mounted a valve 51, said valve having its stem 52 encircled by a com ression spring 53 which is adapted to hol the valve in its closed position. Also the head of the valve may be rounded as at 54 so that upon the descent of the piston 51 the valve member will be unseated and permit gases to enter the cylinder, said gases being delivered within the casing 55 surrounding the valve member through means, not shown.

The operation of the form of my apparatus shown in Figure 2 is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 1. As

the piston 49 descends the valve 51 is operated to permit a certain volume of methane gas or natural gas (1H,, to enter the cylinder 40, and when the piston has reached a predetermined point in its compression stroke suitable valves may be operated for injecting into the cylinder 40 a certain amount of a heavy hydro-carbon oil, such as C, H The compression stroke of the piston 50 will of course continue and when it has reached the completion thereof, an arc may be caused to pass between the electrodes 48 which will disrupt and break up the molecules of the comingled gas and heavy oil. The same reassemblin of the atoms will again occur as described in the case of. Figure 1, and a newv hydro-carbon oil compound will be formed, such as C l-I The valve 43 may then be operated for permitting this new compound to escape from the cylinder.

I claim:

1. The method of uniting gases of the methane series with hydro-carbon oils which consists in subjecting a volume of methane gas to a high degree of compression, then' introducing a quantity of hydro-carbon oil into said compressed gas, and then passin an electrical are through said gas and 01 while in its co-mingled and compressed state.

2. The method of uniting gases of the methane series with hydro-carbon oils which consists in compressing a volume of methane gas to a predetermined degree, then introucing a quantity of hydro-carbon oil in the said compressed gas, then continuin the com ression of said as and oil until the gas orders its liqui state, and then dischar 'ng an electrical are through said coming ed oil and gas.

3. The method of chemically uniting gases of the methane series with hydro-carbon oils, which consists in compressing a v01- ume of methane gas to a predetermined degree, then introducing a quantity of hydrocarbon oil into said compressed gas in the form of a spray, then continuing the compression of said gas and oil until the gas borders the state of a liquid, and then discharging an electrical are through said comingled and compressed oil and gas.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a compression cylinder and piston, means for introducing a gas into said cylinder previous to the compression stroke of said piston, means for injecting oil into said cylinder during the compression stroke of said iston, and means for passing an electrica are through the oil and gas while compressed.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a compression cylinder and piston, means for introducing a gas in said cylinder previous to the compression stroke of said piston, means for injecting oil into said cylinder during the compression stroke of said piston, and means for passing an electrical are through the oil and gas while compressed, an eduction passage from said cylinder, and valve means for opening said passage after the currents of said are.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a compression cylinder, a piston operating therein, means for introducing a gas into said cylinder previous to the beginning of the compression stroke of said piston, means for in'ecting a quantity of heavy oil in the form 0 a spray into said cylinder during compression, and means for passing an electric are through the oil and gas when compressed.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a cylinder having its one end closed, and a piston operable therein for compressing upon its stroke toward the closed end of the cylinder, valve means for introducing gas into said cylinder previous to the compression stroke of the piston, a combined pump and valve means for introducing heavy oil into said cylinder during the compression stroke of sald piston, a pair of electrodes extending into the cylinder, and electrical connecting means whereby the arc may be caused between said electrode at the time when the piston has completed its compression stroke.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a compression cylinder, a piston operable therein, valve means for introducing a gas into said cylinder previous to the beginning of the compression stroke of said piston, means for injecting oil into said cylinder during compression in the form of a spray, and means for passing an electrical are through the oils and gas when said piston has completed its compression stroke.

9. The method of uniting a hydro carbon gas and a hydro carbon liquid which consists in subjecting a volume of hydro carbon gas to a high degree of compression then introducing a quantity of hydro carbon liquid into said gas, then passing an electric arc through said as and liquld while in their comingled and compressed state.

10. The method of uniting a hydro car: bon gas and a hydro carbon liquid which consists in subjecting a volume of hydrc carbon gas to a high degree of compression then introducing a quantity of hydro carbon liquid into said gas in the form of a spray then passing an electric are through said gas and li uid while in their comingled and oompresse state.

HIRAM BRUCE SNYDER. 

